"Guihai! Time to eat!"
With a bang, the small window for delivering food below the cell was pulled open, and a bowl of dark, mushy gruel, the contents of which were indistinguishable, was shoved in and roughly placed on the ground.
Jiang Chan remained curled up, her eyes vacant and unresponsive.
The person in charge of delivering the meals was a young handyman disciple. He seemed to be in a good mood today, as he didn't leave immediately after delivering the food.
He glanced at Jiang Chan, who was curled up in the corner like a dead person, pursed his lips, and muttered something under his breath:
"Tsk, what bad luck. I don't know what's wrong with Qian Bapi's side. In the middle of the night, he insisted on sending people to move all those cloud-patterned copper ingots from the C-class vault of Wanren Peak. And he had to do it all in the middle of the night! It's driving me crazy... It's so superstitious..."
After saying that, he slammed the small window shut, and his footsteps clattered away into the distance.
The prison cell returned to its dimness and foul stench.
Jiang Chan, huddled in the corner, slowly let out a cold smile from the depths of her empty eyes.
The cold, hard floor of the cage was so painful it hurt your bones, and the musty smell of cheap herbs and rotting straw lingered in the air.
Jiang Chan curled up in the corner, her eyes closed, trying her best to shrink herself into a ball, like a lifeless stone.
The footsteps of the guards patrolling outside grew closer and then faded away.
The grumble of the servant who delivered the food earlier was like a pebble thrown into still water, stirring up ripples in her heart.
Is the data from Wanrenfeng's C-type library being urgently transferred?
They've already made a move?
Elder Qian, that old codger, is really afraid of death... It seems that the fragment of the "Soul-Splitting Thorn" is deeply embedded!
A cold smile almost uncontrollably crept onto Jiang Chan's lips.
She quickly lowered her head, burying her face between her knees and arms, her shoulders trembling slightly as if from the cold or weakness.
There were some unusual noises coming from outside.
The patrol footsteps seemed more frequent and hurried than usual.
Occasionally, one could hear a few muffled shouts from afar. The content was unclear, but the tone was obviously tense and stern.
"System, what about Elder Qian..."
[Confirmed: The transfer of materials from Wanren Peak's C-level warehouse has been completed. The operation was met with several checks, all of which were evaded with the excuse of 'warehouse maintenance,' but this has already attracted the attention of Li Wufeng's disciples in the Enforcement Hall.] The system's cold reply confirmed her suspicions.
Good! The more attention the better! With Li Wufeng's suspicious nature, he would never let such sneaky actions go unnoticed!
Time passed slowly, and the light in the cage grew dimmer and dimmer.
Jiang Chan guessed that it must be dark by now, and the elders in the upper echelons of the pavilion should probably be gathering for their council meeting.
Meanwhile, deep within the Tianji Pavilion, in a brightly lit and luxuriously decorated hall.
The atmosphere, however, lacked its usual peaceful and solemnity, instead exuding a sense of oppressive heaviness.
Several elders sat behind the jade table, with the Pavilion Master at the head of the table. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were more profound than usual.
Elder Qian, with his round belly, tried his best to remain calm, but his eyes would occasionally glance at the person sitting opposite him, with a hint of barely perceptible tension.
In that seat sat the law enforcement elder, Li Wufeng.
Li Wufeng had changed into a dark black casual outfit today, but the cold and hard aura emanating from him remained unchanged.
He sat ramrod straight, like a murderous dagger hidden in its sheath, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone present, finally settling on Elder Qian as if it were a physical object.
He spoke slowly, his voice low but carrying a chilling coldness, "Recently, there have been frequent relocations within the pavilion, especially around Wanren Peak... Elder Qian, why were the supplies in the Bing-class warehouse suddenly emptied and transferred to the secret warehouse in the back mountain? My patrolling disciples reported that it was 'warehouse maintenance,' but I wonder what kind of maintenance it is that requires such a large-scale mobilization and the transfer of a large number of spiritual materials?"
It's here!
Elder Qian's heart skipped a beat, and a thin layer of sweat instantly broke out on his back.
He forced a smile and said, "Haha, Elder Li is really well-informed. It's just a small matter, nothing to worry about. It's just that the warehouse is old and there are a few unstable array foundations that might collapse. That's why we temporarily moved the supplies to avoid losses."
"The array base is unstable?" Li Wufeng's lips curled into a cold smile, and the suspicion in his eyes was almost tangible. "Wanren Peak is a key location in the pavilion. The array base in the warehouse is inspected by special personnel every month. I have not heard of any hidden dangers being reported. Elder Qian, you are in charge of money and food. When did you start to personally concern yourself with such trivial matters as the maintenance of the array base?"
These words were barbed and pointed, showing no mercy!
Elder Qian's smile froze instantly. He could feel the scrutiny and pressure in Li Wufeng's gaze, as if he had already seen through his guilty conscience.
The terrifying fragments of the "Soul-Splitting Thorn about to be destroyed" image surged uncontrollably from the depths of his memory, causing a tremor in his heart and making him subconsciously avoid Li Wufeng's gaze.
Just then, Elder Wu, who was sitting next to Elder Qian and was usually in charge of external relations and was known for his smooth handling of affairs, cleared his throat, trying to ease the tension. "Elder Li, please calm down. Elder Qian is only thinking about the pavilion's finances. It's always good to be cautious. Pavilion Master, what do you think..."
“Careful?” Li Wufeng coldly interrupted Elder Wu, turning his gaze to him with undiminished scrutiny. “Elder Wu, you are mistaken. If you were truly being cautious, why didn’t you report it according to the regulations? Why did you avoid my Enforcement Hall’s inspections? Such sneaky behavior seems like… hiding something, like you have a guilty conscience!”
His last few words fell like a heavy hammer!
Elder Qian's face turned deathly pale instantly. He had a guilty conscience... These four words pierced his most feared secret like needles!
Elder Wu was also taken aback; Li Wufeng's aggressive attitude sent a chill down his spine.
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